Alistair’s Attic Recommends
February 2008 Recommendations
Pleasant Valley Sunday- The Monkees (1967)
This song released in the summer of 1967 was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin and is similar in lyrical content to some Ray Davies lyrics at the time. It discussed the boredom and the status-quo of the suburban life, which was starting to seem very irrelevant. It kept borders up and make people feel secure in a world that wasn’t what was inside the town walls. The Monkees make it all their own with a great opening riff from Michael Nesmith. Great vocals from Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones and great keyboard work from Peter Tork. Chip Douglas, the producer of the sessions, adds a bouncy bass line with session played Fast Eddie Hoh pounding away. The bridge is bone-chilling and it’s basically describing the end of comfortable post-WWII suburban life which grows even more chilling with the massive amount of reverb that ends of the song. A great classic which hit the top 5 in the summer of 1967.
Like To Get Know You- Spanky and Our Gang (1968) 
A breezy but very ominous melody is the highlight of this tune. The vocal interplay of the band is one of the best of their career. It’s almost as if the characters will never meet each other or form any sort of relationship, until the bridge and Spanky belts out a lyric that is almost saying I’m secure of how I feel but at the same time she is trying to convince herself that he doesn’t mean all that much. In reality, he does to her. Toward the end of the song there is an incredibly odd vocal processing effect that sounds way ahead of its time and then the band comes back in almost a confused and dazed fashion. One of the highlights of 1968 and the whole sunshine-pop genre. Hit #17 in the charts in 1968. Such a heavily underrated band, definitely check them out!
Laugh, Laugh- The Beau Brummels (1964) 
The Beau Brummels are one of the greatest 1960s pop/rock acts this side of the Byrds and this song will convince you I’m sure. Written in the wake of Merseybeat and British acts toppling American acts out of the chart. Ron Elliot wrote a very Beatlesque effort that is equal in just about every way to the Beatles own singles. It has a very angry and punky quality and the verses are very minor whereas the chorus contrast with major chords. The lyrics warn this girl of upcoming fate and then goes around laughs at her misfortune. Sal Valentino’s vocal is one of the great voices of the 60s and this song just gets better with time. Sly Stone produced this track and it’s unbelievable how clean and modern it still sounds. Check out any of their albums and you’ll be surprised how great they were.